Pharisaic Self-Redemption

From the website of the Pharisees of the 21st century Sanhedrin:

Recently, the Jewish people have begun to reassert their rights to the Temple Mount …

This year in Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin Initiative is calling upon the Jewish people in Israel and throughout the world to participate in the Korban Pesach. The Sanhedrin Initiative will choose sheep to be offered in the Korban Pesach, and all preparations will be made in the expectation that we can renew this ancient, traditional offering …

We realize that this approach is as controversial as it is courageous; passivity always appears the safer course, even if appearances are deceiving. The controversy is part of a fundamental debate whether the Jewish people must passively await their redemption which will be a one-shot deal or they are enjoined to make preparations … to prepare the stage for their redemption. If you subscribe to the second approach, then one can hardly find a cause more worthy than restoring the Korban Pesach to its pride of place as a symbol of Jewish unity.

The self-worshiping neoPharisees of the 21st century Sanhedrin leave no doubt as to which approach they take to redemption.

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz who heads the above mentioned Sanhedrin recently spoke at a Vatican conference where he seemed to gloat:

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, noted that … the Catholic Church was in an “almost impossible” position when it came to dealing with the Jews. “It’s very hard to be somebody’s heir when he’s still alive,” Steinsaltz told the audience of academics, students and Catholic and Jewish representatives.

While saying he was hopeful for more progress in improving relations, the rabbi – a noted scholar and founder of several Talmudic institutions in Israel and Russia – said there was a reason for the strain between Catholics and Jews. “Basically, monotheistic religions cannot be tolerant,” he said. “When you speak about truth … Can you speak about two truths?” (“Vatican: Jews Are Our Brothers,” Rome, Oct. 22, 2005 Associated Press)

Putting aside the fact that rabbinic Judaism is neither monotheistic or a religion, it is interesting to see the Nasi of the 21st century Sanhedrin speak at the Vatican with a tone of authority on the topic of singular truth (disingenuously, of course. Judaism is as relativistic as it gets). I can’t recall any Pope speaking in such a way in the past 50 years.